Automatic compression-distraction-torsion method and apparatus
AssigneeAutogenesis Corporation
InventorsJohn A. Pursley, Jordan M. Holloway, Thomas L. Wakefield
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An orthopaedic system is provided which includes a plurality of support members, a plurality of rods interconnecting the support members, a plurality of pins attached to the support members for passing through bone of a patient, and an automatic drive device to control an adjustment mechanism of the rods to adjust the rod length of the rods to alter the relative positions of the support members. The drive device includes at least one motor for incrementally adjusting the adjustment mechanism of at least one of the rods and a controller device for providing pulses to the motor and for storing information regarding the number of stepwise adjustments of the rod length by the motor.
Claims32
A medical apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of support members;
- a plurality of rods interconnecting said support members and including adjustment means for enabling the rod length to be adjusted;
- means connected to said support members for securing said support members to a patient;
- and
- an automatic drive means for controlling said adjustment means of said plurality of rods, said drive means comprising at least one motor for incrementally adjusting the adjustment means of said plurality of rods to adjust the length of said rods, and a controller means for providing pulses to said at least one motor to control the incremental adjustments of plurality of rods and for storing information regarding the number of stepwise adjustments of said rod length of said plurality of rods by said at least one motor.
An apparatus for positioning an article, comprising:
- a plurality of support members;
- at least one adjustable length rod interconnecting said plurality of support members and including an adjustment means for enabling said rod length to be adjusted;
- means connected to at least one of said plurality of support members for securing said plurality of support members to said article to be positioned;
- an automatic drive means for controlling said adjustment means for adjusting said length of said at least one rod, said drive means comprising at least one motor for incrementally adjusting the adjustment means of said at least one rod to adjust the length of said at least one rod;
- and
- controller means for controlling and monitoring the incremental adjustments of said at least one rod and for storing information regarding the number of adjustments of said rod length of said at least one rod by said at least one motor.
A method of controlling an orthopedic apparatus which includes a plurality of support members, at least one rod interconnecting said support members, said at least one rod comprising adjustment means for enabling the rod length to be adjusted, and a plurality of pins attached to said support members, said pins comprising means for passing through bone of a patient, said method comprising:
- controlling said adjustment means of said at least one rod to adjust said rod length of said at least one rod to adjust the relative positions of said support members by employing at least one motor corresponding to said at least one rod to incrementally adjust said adjustment means to adjust said rod length and employing a controller means for controlling and monitoring incremental adjustments of said at least one rod and to store information regarding the number of adjustments of said rod length by said at least one motor.
A method for positioning an article utilizing an apparatus which includes a plurality of support members, at least one adjustable length rod interconnecting said support members, said at least one rod comprising adjustment means for enabling adjustment of said rod length, and a plurality of attachment means connected to at least one of said plurality of support members for securing at least one of said plurality of support members to said article to be positioned, said method comprising:
- controlling said adjustment means for said at least one rod to adjust the length of said at least one rod to thereby adjust the relative positions of said plurality of support members by employing at least one motor corresponding to said at least one rod to increment and adjust said adjustment means to stepwise adjust said length of said at least one rod.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.